Ayushman Bharat No objection to Ayushman Bharat if Centre pays entire money: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday reiterated her government's latest stance over the Narendra Modi government's health scheme Ayushman Bharat which is yet to be initiated in the eastern state.
Banerjee during her administrative meeting in Paschim Medinipur (West Midnapore) said her government has no objection to Ayushman Bharat if the central government agrees to pay the entire amount allotted for the scheme.
"We have no objection to Ayushman Bharat if the central government pays the entire amount including the 40 per cent which is payable by the State. We are already running our own scheme Swastha Sathi which covers 7.5 crore people while Ayushman Bharat covers only 1.5 crore people of the state," the CM said.
Banerjee in September had written two letters to the Centre stating the state government had agreed to enroll for two central schemes- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat- but only if the funds are routed through the state.
The TMC government in West Bengal has often been criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- which rules the Centre- for depriving poor people of free treatment by not enrolling into Ayushman Bharat, allegedly stooping to petty politics.
